Brain Plasticity of Verbal Memory in the Blind
Blindness
About this trial
This is an observational trial for Blindness focused on measuring Occipital Cortex, Prefrontal Cortex, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Inhibition, Cortical Excitability, Blindness, Healthy Volunteer, HV
Eligibility Criteria
ELIGIBILITY: Early Blind Subjects: Only compliant early blind subjects who have lost their vision before age 4 years due to diseases affecting the peripheral components of the visual system, i.e., blind subjects without any further neurological problems, and with normal MRI scans, will be selected. Late Blind Subjects: Only compliant late blind subjects who have lost their vision after age 4 years due to diseases affecting the peripheral components of the visual system, i.e., blind subjects without any further neurological problems, and with normal MRI scans, will be selected. Sighted Controls: Only compliant adult healthy volunteers with no history of neurological and psychiatric illness who are able to concentrate and to perform simple attentional tasks are eligible. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Blind Subjects: Early and late blind subjects (aged 18 or over) will be included in this protocol. Handedness will be assessed by the Edinburgh inventory scale. All experimental sessions will be studied on outpatient basis. Sighted Subjects: Healthy sighted (normal or corrected-to normal vision) matched in age, sex and level of education to the blind subjects. Handedness will be assessed by the Edinburgh inventory scale. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Exclusion criteria for the study will be any current medical or surgical condition or psychiatric or neurological illness. Furthermore, any individual who is on medication with potential influence on nervous system function, who has a history of surgery with metallic implants or known history of metallic particles in the eye, cardiac pacemaker, intracardiac lines, neural stimulators, cochlear implants, pregnancy, or history of drug abuse, will be excluded from the study.
Sites / Locations
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)